ATTENTION STUDENTS AND FANS IN THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AREA PLANNING TO ATTEND THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES: Please note that 1-Train service will be running express from 96th Street to 145th Street this weekend.

NEW YORK - Divisional play within the Ivy League kicks off this weekend as the Columbia softball team gets set to host four games against Cornell this weekend. The series features two doubleheaders on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14. First pitch for both games is slated for 12:30 p.m.

COLUMBIA’S STATUSThe Lions will open up divisional play with a 4-4 record in Ivy League games after taking 3-of-4 last weekend at Brown and Yale. Most recently, Columbia split a doubleheader with Saint Peter’s on Thursday, April 11.

HEY, NIKKI!First-year Nicole Borchard was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week on April 8 after hitting .450 with six RBI in six games against FDU, Brown and Yale. Borchard is hitting .343 on the season and is tied for fourth in the Ivy League with 23 RBI. The second baseman is the third player to earn a major conference award this season.

MILESTONE ACHIEVEDWith Columbia’s 5-4 win in game one against FDU on Apr. 2, head coach Kayla Noonan earned her 200th career victory. Noonan is in her 11th season at the helm of the Lions and is already the program’s leader in wins.

DRAMA QUEENJunior Emily Caruthers walk-off bloop single in the seventh inning lifted the Lions to a 5-4 win over FDU on Apr. 2. The Columbia leadoff hitter is having a stellar season, batting .349 with and leads the Ivy League with 14 stolen bases

MY SHIMODASophomore Kayla Shimoda homered in back-to-back games, serving a grand slam in the nightcap of Columbia’s series with Dartmouth on March 29 and hitting an inside the park home run in the first game against Harvard on March 30. The standout utility player currently leads the team, and is one of the Ivy League leaders, with seven doubles.

HONORS KEEP ROLLING INJunior Emily Snodgrass became the second Lion to earn Ivy League Player of the Week status after hitting .412 with three home runs and six RBI. She finished the Rebel Games with a scorching .438 batting average, four dingers, 12 RBI and 10 runs. She has been the Lions top offensive threat this year, hitting .361 with five homers and 20 RBI and ranks among the league leaders in most batting categories.

PITCHING INThe Lions pitching staff has been a huge strength early this season. Columbia is currently second in the Ivy League with a 2.61 ERA collectively.

WHAT’S COOKIN’Sophomore Alix Cook has reached base safely in 30-of-32 games this season. She has struck out just three times in 107 at bats to rank as the nation’s 18th toughest batter to fan. In 2012, she was 14th in that category.

“KENNY” POWERSFirst-year Emily Kenyon has made an immediate impact for the Columbia this season, posting a 2.50 ERA with a seven wins and 99 strikeouts. She has earned a spot on the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll three times for her efforts. She is just 16 K’s shy of cracking the top-five single season list with eight projected starts left in the season.

DARLING WORKING OVERTIMESophomore starting hurler Brooke Darling has also gotten off to a strong start, earning seven victories with a 2.67 ERA in 81.1 innings of work. She opened the year pitching a pair of complete-games that went extra innings.

ISN’T SHE GRAND?First-year Nicole Borchard’s first career home run was one to remember, a grand slam in a 6-0 victory over Rider on March 19. Borchard, who has started all 32 games for Columbia at second base, finished the game with a career-best five RBI.

KROLL SHOWFirst-year pitcher Tessa Kroll posted a complete-game shutout to pick up her fist career win against Rider on March 19. The tall right-hander struck out five batters and allowed just five hits in the victory.

FLYIN’ HAWAIIANSopohomore utility player Kayla Shimoda was named Ivy League Player of the Week on March 12 after going 5-for-5 in two games at Rider on March 9. The Aiea, Hawai’i native, was the first Lion to earn the honor since current assistant coach Maggie Johnson took the distinction on Apr. 6, 2010.

COLUMBIA IN SEASON OPENERSThe Lions fell to 5-9 all-time in season openers after dropping a slim, 1-0, decision to Iona at the Towson Invitational on March 1.

ALL-IVY HONOREES RETURNSophomores Liz Caggiano and Kayla Shimoda each impressed during their rookie seasons in 2012, earning All-Ivy League Honorable Mention status. Caggiano was named conference Rookie of the Week twice and hit .265 with five homers and 17 RBI. Shimoda used a hot-streak down the stretch to finish with a .280 batting average and belted five doubles.